Children in Northern Ireland need a better standard of oral healthcare, according to Stormont health minister Michael McGimpsey.

Northern Irish newspaper the Belfast Telegraph reported the average five-year-old in the country now has 2.5 teeth affected by decay; this is compared to the average in England of just 1.5 teeth.

Furthermore, the publication revealed that every year, £60 million is spent on treating these oral health issues in under-fives.

"It is vitally important that we look at new approaches to tackling tooth decay as, unfortunately, young people in Northern Ireland have the worst oral health in the British Isles," Mr McGimpsey told the paper.

Elsewhere, two London-based dentists recently took a trip to India to help children in the Vadaj region improve their oral health.

According to Chai Samosa, Dr Jay and Dr Rupa Patel have each helped more than 130 kids with emergency dentistry treatments they would not have been able to afford otherwise.